A Boy and His Dogs

Updates

2011-06-17T11:32:00.004-04:00

I'm such an inconsistent blogger these days. In fact, it's been MONTHS since I've blogged, weeks since I've read the blogs I love and used to read every day. Things are just so busy and time gets away from me.

So updates:

Elliot: Is 2.5 years old. ALREADY?? Got his first REAL haircut and looks so much older. Can hold a conversation now, loves his little brother to death (and calls him Chubba Chubbas if you ask what his little brother's name is), has not lost his love for big trucks, airplanes, his puppy or mac and cheese, has lost his love for Yo Gabba Gabba (YAY!) and just about all food. He has found new love in Team Umi Zoomi, Dora and Diego and Mickey Mouse, oatmeal, Nutella sandwiches (chocolate sandwiches he calls them), and swinging on the big kid swing. He's a little clown, always running, jumping and laughing.

He is mostly well behaved, but when he isn't it's downright UGLY. He gives the best hugs and kisses. And no matter how old he gets he's still my baby!

Cole: Is 9 months old. ALREADY, again??? He thinks his big brother is just the coolest kid on earth and his dogs are the funniest things. He is my Jack of All Trades - Master of None kid. He can speed army crawl across the floor but hasn't quite grasped the hands and knees crawl. He can stand a few seconds on his own, but then tries to lunge himself forward thinking he can walk...he can't. He can take steps when holding onto fingers and gets mad he falls after letting go. He can shovel food into his mouth with his hands, hold his bottle, but not a cup and mimic peoples sounds so well. He's Mr. Serious, takes everything in and gets mad when things do go his way exactly.

His reflux is under control and we are starting the weaning process of his meds...I hope it works!! He's a little Chub Nubbers and I love him!!

Elvis: Seems to be having more frequent seizures :( But he's fat, lazy and happy...at least when P is bugging him.

Priscilla: Has a luxating patella, is starting dog school next month ($100 she's the only one that doesn't graduate) and is still crazy and annoying.

In other news...I have started a little business selling my crocheted creations. I have found a love in making things, especially hats. So head on over to Facebook and like my page. Then order something...I ship!!

I leave you with a precious photo of my little guys...taken by Yes M'AM Photography

Winter, Winter, Go Away

2011-02-19T10:31:00.003-05:00

I am so tired of winter. We are ALL so tired of winter. After 2 snowstorms just 3 days apart our front yard had so much snow that it went up to the top of the fence. Not really conducive to playing outside. Then the temps dropped to way below 0 for days.

The last couple of days were beautiful, almost 50 degrees, highly unheard of in February in the frozen nothern Adirondacks. It was a spring tease, but I made the most of it and got out for a walk with the boys. The sun was shining and, even though it was super windy, we all enjoyed the fresh air.

You would think that after living here my whole life, minus one year spent in NC, I would be used to how long and cold our winters are, but I'm not. I never will be. I hate them. HATE THEM!!! I long to live where it's warm enough for a light jacket or sweater in the winter. Where, if it snows, it's not often, much or stays around long.

I'm tired of giant snowbanks making it difficult to get out of my driveway without near collisions everyday for months, tired of bundling up the kids just to go to a store because it's frigid, tired of waiting for spring and summer, that are so short it's almost like they never came.

Time to start some serious work on the hubby to go south, or west, or anywhere.

Well Check Updates

2011-01-21T19:07:00.003-05:00

The boys had their well check visits on Wednesday, Elliot's 2 yr and Cole's 4 month.

Elliot's stats

30 lbs

35.5 inches

Cole's stats

16 lbs 3 oz

26.75 inches

Cole gained 2 lbs in a month so it was no wonder his Zantac dosage suddenly stopped working. We've upped his dosage and hoping in a couple more days things will be back to normal. Of course he's been sick since his appointment...maybe a reaction to his shots? Mostly some real nasty diapers (diarhea) and a little vomitting (definitely NOT spit up). What fun :/

Elliot is just wild and crazy. He only needed a flu shot and that certainly wasn't going to slow him down. He's saying more full sentences like "You make me mad."...yeah, that was a nice one! I wouldn't let him continue to play in the ground pepper he spilled everywhere so I could clean it up and that's what he yelled at me. In true Mom of the Year fashion I replied with "Yeah? Well you make me mad too...now go over there so I can sweep." So he stomped his foot and SCREAMED! Ah....2 year olds.

Time Goes by so Quickly

2011-01-08T21:44:00.003-05:00

I don't know where it goes, but it's only here for a fleeting second. It seems that by the time I get home from work, have dinner, play with the boys is bedtime. First for them and then before I can blink for me. And the day is gone. So quickly. I hate it.

So, it leaves little time for blogging.

Elliot is now 2 years old, Cole is 4 months. How the hell did THAT happen??

Christmas was good but hectic. I think we need a new strategy for Christmas because we need time for ourselves. It was rush, rush, rush in the morning, drive to my sister's an hour away, back home after only 2 hours there, an hour for us and back out the door to my brother in laws and home to bed. It's no fun for us or the kids. So, starting next year I plan to alternate years with each side. This way we can spend quality time with a few than just a little time with all. AND we get some time for our little family, just us, to enjoy unwrapping presents and playing.

Elliot's birthday went well and his party was good. My monkey cupcakes were a hit. What cupcakes you say?? Well, I had a brilliant idea that instead of spending $50 on a cake I would spend a few dollars and make cupcakes. I was in the baking aisle of my local grocery store when I spotted the CUTEST monkey cupcake liners and thought "I should make monkey cupcakes."

Well, I did. I spent the majority of MY birthday making those cupcakes for Elliot's party.

I think they were pretty good. I'm super proud of myself and just might have to do it for Cole's first birthday, although maybe not monkeys, but something fun!!

So now I leave you so I can head to bed. I hope that for 2011 I can do better on the blogging front.

Pics of my monkeys...

Cute liners

Step 2 (baking was step 1) ~ Body

Step 3 ~ Faces and ears

Step 4 ~ Eyes and mouths

Close Up

Hats

2010-12-08T21:03:00.002-05:00

I tried my hand at crocheting a couple of beanies for Cole. The first one is very plain, but it went well so I tried a striped one. The first try was too small, not even close! The second I thought was still too small. However, I was trying to put it on him while he was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him. I just couldn't wait to try it. That didn't work so I tried it on him the next day. It fit, I just needed to add a couple more rows (then I added 2 too many...oh well).

Here they are!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-04T19:14:00.001-05:00

Happy Snowflakes Christmas

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

This and That

2010-11-28T20:07:00.002-05:00

It seems I'm right on target timewise with this post. I don't seem to post much anymore. Life with work and the boys has gotten busy.

I went back to work on Nov. 1st. It hasn't been fun. I have had mess after mess to clean up. Lots of reservations to handle and I miss my boys so much. I have been testing out working at home 2 days a week, but unless I can figure out a "office" in this house, I don't think it's going to work long term. Plus, some days it's so hard to work and not give in to the desire to play with Elliot and Cole.

Cole had his 2 month well check on Nov. 12th. He was 10 weeks, 12 pounds and 24.5 inches. A few ounces and 2 full inches bigger than his brother at this age. He's already moved into 3-6 month clothes.

Elliot is still an awesome big brother. He is becoming such a big boy. I can't believe that in 5 short weeks he will be 2....better start planning that party.

We had a very untraditional Thanksgiving. We decided to get away for a couple of days and took Elliot to an indoor waterpark on Thanksgiving morning. He LOVED it.

And since I am done Christmas shopping, except a couple of things for the hubby, I have decided to use my extra time and teach myself to crochet. I made a hat for Cole last night. Didn't turn out half bad. I'll post pics soon!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T20:26:00.003-04:00

I know the night is almost over, but I just had to share pics of my boys. Elliot had a blast on both trick or treating treks. He even learned to say "Trick or Treat" just in time!

The End is Near

2010-10-22T21:21:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how fast time is going by. I have one week left with the boys before it's back to work. ONE WEEK...SEVEN already went by...HOW???? It's just not enough. Even more than when I returned to work when Elliot was born, I feel this overwhelming desire to stay home with them. No, not desire, a need, an overwhelming NEED to be a stay at home mom. Just the thought of going back to work makes me sick to my stomach. I MUST win the lottery by November 1st, I must. I NEED to stay home.

Cole has been diagnosed with reflux. We put rice cereal in his bottle and he takes .5 ml of Zantac twice a day. At his 2 month well check we will evaluate how he's doing and possibly stop the cereal. All the crying, fussing, screaming out in his sleep in pain from the acid coming up, spitting up has pretty much stopped. He's a whole new baby. Last night he slept 7 hours straight. May have been a fluke, but hopefully the long sleeping spells at night continue. Elliot starting sleeping 8 hours a night just before I returned to work...maybe Cole is following in his big brother's footsteps. My boys love me ;)

They Grow Up Too Fast

2010-10-08T09:23:00.003-04:00

So, because wondering minds want to know, that being MY wondering mind...I measured and weighed the boys this morning.

If my measurements are correct:

Elliot: 30 lbs 34.5 ins

Cole: 9 lbs 21.5 ins

Updates

2010-09-23T18:11:00.002-04:00

Cole had his weight check on 9.15. After a weekend of him barely eating I was worried. The nurse wanted us to make him eat every 2 hours. All that happened was he ate less than before. So instead of stressing us all out, I let him go back to his own schedule. I guess that was the trick because he gained 8 ounces!! He passed his birth weight and weighed in at 7 lb. 4 oz...one ounce over! NO MORE WEIGHT CHECKS!!

He hasn't stopped eating since. He has become Mommy's little piggy.

Elliot is still a wonderful big brother. He tries to help burp Cole, feed him, console him when he cries. Still no jealousy either!

Now, if I could only get them to nap at the same time.

Brotherly Love

2010-09-12T10:22:00.004-04:00

How sweet is this?? Elliot is already an AWESOME big brother. He likes to help feed and burp baby Cole and is obsessed with his toes.

Cole is very laid back, much like his big brother was as a little baby (now he has more energy than 10 toddlers and we can't keep up!). He does, however, seem to have a bit of an issue gaining weight. On the plus side, as of Friday he hadn't lost anymore, but he just doesn't gain. So we get to have weight checks every week until he hits his birth weight. Wednesday is our next one and I am hoping to hear that he has gained something. This little guy needs to grow so he isn't swimming in his clothes anymore!

Introducing....

2010-09-05T08:33:00.003-04:00

Cole Thomas:

Born 9.1.10 at 12:39am

Weight: 7 lbs. 3 ozs.

Height: 19.5 inches

Head: 35 cm

Being checked out by awesome, big brother Elliot.

I'm Crafty!

2010-08-16T20:51:00.003-04:00

I finished my letters for the boys! I just need to decide if I will attach ribbon and hang them or somehow attach them flat to the walls.

I'm Bad

2010-08-13T12:46:00.002-04:00

I'm a bad blogger...I have been neglectful of my blog and therefore, my bragging about my little man.

I'm a bad cleaner...my house is a complete disaster, I just can't seem to keep up.

I'm a bad pregnant lady...I'm big, I ache and I'm OVER IT!

I'm a bad crafter...I've had the stuff to do both Elliot's and Cole's letters for their rooms for a week now and I haven't even taken the supplies out of the bags.

I'm a bad fur mommy...they have all been driving me nuts and I sometimes think of how nice it would be to not have so many. 3 cats and 2 dogs are wearing me out.

But, apparently, today I am AWESOME at complaining.

Finally

2010-07-27T15:49:00.003-04:00

I have researched and researched and researched double strollers hoping to find ONE that would fit pretty much all my needs so I didn't have a garage full of strollers. I already have 3 singles which get used depending on what I am doing or where I am going.

The stroller needed to:
1. Fit a newborn and a toddler
2. Fit in my trunk (hopefully with room to spare)
3. Fit through doorways
4. Have sturdy wheels for our crappy roads and sidewalks. Air filled work best
5. Still be able to make shopping trips easy

I decided on the Valco Tri Mode EX with a toddler seat. It can function as a single or a double (#1), is the size of a single (#2, #3, #5), and is a jogger style so great for my long walks (#4). The stroller will hopefully be here by the end of the week and the toddler seat should be in stock mid August (Valco is coming out with a new version). Plus I will sell my other jogger so there will still be only 3 stroller in the garage!

I will give everyone a review once I have the stroller and then I will have to let you know about the toddler seat later. In the meantime, check it out here, I got the Hot Chocolate. Hmmmm, that seems fitting for my cold climate!

They Grow So Fast

2010-07-12T09:38:00.002-04:00

Last night was Elliot's first night in a "big boy" bed. We have moved him to a twin bed. He has been trying to climb out of his crib, so his pediatrician thought we might want to try soon before he gets hurt. Then I had him sleeping in his new room in a Pack N Play because his room was so hot. Tried the crib yesterday and he wouldn't have anything to do with it.

So yesterday we set up the twin bed, got the room ready and tested it out. He was extra tired since it was past his bed time, but he went right to sleep and slept all night without an issue. I can't say that it will be that easy for his nap today or tonight, but I have hope it will all go well.

I am pretty sad about it though. Just means that my baby isn't my baby anymore. He's turning into my little boy instead. Why do they have to grow so fast??

Where Does Time Go?

2010-06-30T10:31:00.002-04:00

I am having a hard time believing that tomorrow Elliot will be 18 months old. It feels like I just got home from the hospital with him. Every day is a new word, new skill.

He have even had his first real injury. Poor Elliot lost a fingernail. It still looks pretty yucky, but at least it's scabbed over and healing. We are just hoping the nail grows back, and it's pretty likely it will.

I also can't believe that in 11 short weeks, baby #2 will make his arrival. I'm excited and sad all at the same time. I'm excited to have another bundle of joy. I'm excited for Elliot to be a big brother. But I am sad because my baby won't be the baby anymore. I am sad because all my attention won't be able to be on Elliot and he will have to share his mommy.

I Won, I Won...#2

2010-06-16T10:27:00.004-04:00

I won another giveaway...my second ever! I will be getting some address labels from Pear Tree Greetings, courtesy of You Don't Know. Thanks Brandy!!

I chose these labels because I plan to get matching announcements once the new baby is born.

Simply and cute...that's what I like! I'd post pics, but I don't want to get in trouble with the company so I will just link to the them instead.

Baby Boy #2 Has a Name!!!

2010-06-15T12:48:00.002-04:00

Cole Thomas should be arriving in 3 short months!

Now, to make sure Tony doesn't change his mind on the name between now and then!!

The Best Things in Life

2010-06-14T10:36:00.002-04:00

Bubbles...

Balls...

Walks...

Naps...

Sleepless Nights

2010-06-03T14:44:00.002-04:00

I really didn't plan to have sleepless nights again until the baby was born, but the puppy has other ideas. She seems to hate sleeping in a crate at night, but cannot be trusted to run about as she is only 8 weeks and not housebroken. So, it's been 2 weeks of being kept up with whining and crying from her. So I am trying something different...a cat carrier. It's smaller and darker and maybe, just maybe, it'll work.

On another note, I participated in a Flip Flop Swap with some other bloggy moms and followers. I sent a cute pair of flops to my person. I, however, got stiffed. I know it's the chance you take, but I am a bit bummed. Oh well.

It's a...

2010-05-24T10:00:00.003-04:00

GIRL!!

Meet our newest addition, Priscilla. (Yeah, I know...but everyone thinks it's a perfect name!)

There are Flintstone Feet...

2010-05-18T15:48:00.003-04:00

And there are Elliot's feet.

On our mini vacation taken this past weekend I was able to find a Stride Rite outlet. I have heard they are a great place to find wide shoes for babies. So, we had Elliot's feet sized for the first time (we have simply put shoes on and if they fit we bought them!). To our surprise Elliot doesn't just have wide feet like we thought...he has EXTRA wide feet. We had to get him 6XW shoes!!

By the way, he gets those wide feet from his daddy. I have tiny feet.

Those Things are Dangerous!

2010-05-10T11:04:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I get hurt doing the dumbest things. Fracture my wrist falling UP stairs, fall off a Pogo Ball and bust up my elbow, crack my head open going from crouching to standing up in the bathroom. Yes, these are just a few examples of the things that happen to me.

Yesterday, after getting home from a FABULOUS lunch at a local restaurant, I was setting Elliot down. In my coat pocket was this cup...

Now, I know it didn't fit perfectly into the pocket, but my hands were full with Elliot and his books. Well...as I put Elliot down this thing falls from my pocket and lands on my toe. I jumped up and down, trying not to cry, screaming "OW, OW, OW!" because it hurt sooooo bad. I think my toe might be broken, or at least very, very bruised and injured. It's still swollen this morning, I had to find a pair of shoes that didn't squish it or it would kill me and any little bump sends shooting pains through it.

Only me!

Dollar Bills

2010-05-06T11:27:00.003-04:00

I have spent too many of these this past week. Summer clothes for Elliot, summer maternity clothes for me (most used even), a new computer (tax $), and now we are going on a mini vacation next weekend (also tax $). That's lots of dollar bills flowing from my bank account. While it's necessary and I got good deals, I don't like it...not all at once anyway. I feel broke and payday is still a week away.

I am excited for a faster computer and that we are taking Elliot on his first trip to a zoo!!

Elliot is Getting....

2010-04-13T21:03:00.003-04:00

A brother.

I had my anatomy scan today and we found out this one is a boy too. While we were hoping for that little girl, I am happy that Elliot is going to have a brother. I hope they will be best pals.

Unfortunately, that brings the count to Girls 2 - Boys 6. I have one queen of a cat on my side and that's it. But we are strong and will defend our ground.

On the plus side, we kept all the baby stuff, including Elliot's clothes. So we won't need to spend much this time. We are hoping Elliot will be ready for a toddler bed this summer, so much cheaper than another crib.

And because I am such a slacker with this blog...some Easter pics...

2010-03-29T19:56:00.002-04:00

Elliot has decided to take up golf....or maybe he's looking for a career as a caddy!

We've had some crazy weather lately, some days are very spring like then winter comes back and it is cold and snowy. This weekend is supposed to be in the 70's. Highly unusual for Upstate NY this time of year. We plan to make the most of it!!

Elliot has been a terrible eater lately. Pretty much no fruits or veggies, although this has been a problem since we moved away from baby food. Plus he's been going through the "I will only eat mac n cheese today" stage. Of course the food changes each day. His usual favorites are best left to the dog...or thrown at him. Needless to say, Elvis has gained some weight lately and will need a diet and extra exercise.

I can hardly believe that I am 16 weeks pregnant and in 2 weeks we should be able to learn the sex of the baby. I have a strong feeling it's another boy, Tony feels it's a girl. One of us is going to be right, the question is which one??!!

Missing: One Good Sleeping Infant

2010-03-03T11:09:00.003-05:00

Replaced with one that won't nap, well barely, and wakes super early in the morning now. I want the good sleeper back. I need that hour in the morning, especially these days because I don't sleep well due to pregnancy. I hate the evenings filled with grumpiness.

Who took my good sleeping baby???? Please return him. No questions will be asked. I will just be grateful to have my happy, rested boy back.

Sunday Morning Browns?

2010-02-21T08:04:00.002-05:00

The best way to start off a lazy, gray, snowy Sunday morning??? Why, with a chocolate donut!!

Snow, Cold???

2010-01-30T19:33:00.002-05:00

You don't know what snow and cold is when it's 25 degrees and you have a couple of inches.

I was watching the Weather Channel this morning and there was a story about the weather in Raleigh, NC. I took interest because my brother lives in that area. I lived there for almost a year once, I get that a couple of inches can reak havoc on their world. But stop whining it's cold. I live in one of the coldest areas in the country. It was -24 degrees last night...25 degrees colder than the Weather Channel reported for Raleigh. And 2 inches of snow is a dusting....we can get many, many feet here. Not that we have it right now, just a couple of feet maybe (we had rain last week and it melted lots of snow---YAY!) I do laugh at my brother each year when they get snow....he just can't seem to get away from it!

On another note, I had my first prenatal appointment yesterday. Got to see the baby and hear the heartbeat. Everything looks good and the heart rate was 124 bpm. And I think it's another boy. I woke up yesterday morning thinking it was a boy. I'm not sure why, I just do. Tony really, really wants a girl so I hope I'm wrong.

Birthdays and...Babies???

2010-01-22T20:54:00.006-05:00

We are nearing the end of January and I am glad. The beginning was pretty hectic. First Elliot's birthday was 12.31, then mine 1.1, Elliot's party 1.3, Tony's birthday 1.8 and in between a little surprise...1.6 we found out I am pregnant-Baby #2 is on the way!

Elliot was a bit more interested in unwrapping for his actual birthday, but not his party so Mommy got to do all those. I took his birthday off of work and we had a fairly quiet day at home, just us. It was nice. His party was full of family and friends...about 35 people all together. And it was during a snowstorm. Luckily most people were local, only my sister and her family had to make an hour trek, but they came. Elliot is almost 13 months old and I can't believe it.

I also can't believe that come September I will be a mother of 2 under 2. At least for about 3 months. After having a feeling I was, a number of negative tests, finally a positive, then a negative at the doctor's office, I had blood work done and it was confirmed. Our next baby bug is due 9.14.09. We are very excited and think that this one will complete our family.

Now for pictures....

Elliot's Birthday

The Party Cake

Elliot's Smash Cake

Not a fan of the party hat, but it looked so cute and matched his shirt.

Testing the frosting...

Digging in!!

Christmas Came and Went

2009-12-28T12:14:00.007-05:00

Without much of a fuss even. Each year I am amazed at how fast Christmas is over. You would think that at almost 34 I would be used to it, well I am not. It's always sad when it's time to take down the decorations (I usually do it around New Year's). We didn't do much this year. It seemed like there was always someone sick. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was my turn. YUCK!

So I watched Christmas movies with scenes of fabulous holiday parties and now my plan is to someday own a big house where I can host a big Christmas party. Wouldn't that be so much fun!!??

Elliot wasn't real interested in opening gifts, but he sure did love some of them! His big Tonka dump truck and Fisher Price basketball hoop were among the most popular to him. I love his Scout and I think, in time he will too!! I got a new camera (well, it was an early present, Tony gave it to me in the beginning of December) and I love it. I got some sweaters, books and pj's. Tony got new dishes, a remote car starter, satellite radio in his truck (an early present from me and I pay for yearly) and lots of Yankee stuff. And Elvis got a Loofa Dog that's about twice the size of him...he loves his Loofas!

Some pics of the day...

Christmas Eve

With 1 of 3 riding toys
In Daddy's Yankee Wastebasket

Among his "a few" new things (that caterpillar in the background is awesome too!)

Elvis with his giant dog.

With his Tonka truck

Showing his cousin how to use the basketball hoop

They were waiting for the food to come out.

Santa Came to Town

2009-12-14T21:18:00.002-05:00

Saturday Santa came to our little town for a visit. He arrived on a firetruck to see all the kiddies and even some doggies. Elliot wasn't fazed in the least...Elvis, on the other hand, was.

Polka Dots Everywhere

2009-12-09T12:32:00.004-05:00

It seems polka dots are a hit theme for 1st birthdays. I was reading a post on a blog I follow and the mommy did a polka dot theme for her little guy. We are also doing a polka dot theme in blue. Here is the shirt and hat I ordered a few weeks ago for Elliot. I can't wait. Now to find matching decorations.

Snow Days

2009-12-08T20:29:00.003-05:00

First, let me say, I LOVE my new camera. It was an early Christmas present from Tony and it is sooo much better than my old Kodak. The pictures on the last post were taken after it got dark with only Christmas lights on and on auto setting. With the Kodak you wouldn't have been able to see anything.

We finally got some snow. Not much, but since we are supposed to get 8-12 inches tonight and the snow sticks around here until April, we didn't need a ton yet! I took Elliot out to play in it. He loved it. He was so funny eating the snow off his suit.

Elvis also loves to play in the snow. And trying to catch snowballs. He gets very confused when they land and he can't find them. Poor doggie.

Tree Stand

2009-12-08T20:18:00.003-05:00

I don't know where time keep going, but it is running away from me. I can't believe in just a couple of weeks it will be Christmas and in a week later Elliot will be 1. I haven't been blogging much, or reading others :( because time just won't stand still for just a minute for me to breathe and catch up on all my fun things. Work has been crazy, Elliot seems to feel the need to learn as much new stuff as possible before he turns 1 and he's had a sudden and large growth spurt so I have to pull out all his clothes for the next size up. I thought he would follow tradition and were 12 months until he was 13 months, but no luck.

So to catch up on us...Tony decided to sell trees this year. Out of our front yard. I admit that I didn't think it would fly and that most of the trees would still be in our yard come Christmas, but he has sold about 50 trees in one week. Only 4 trees left! I think Elliot helped out with all his cuteness...see for yourself!

5 in a Row

2009-11-20T19:01:00.000-05:00

I will start by saying the 3 steps in a row I mentioned last post were totally by accident. Elliot had no idea what he just did. He was just so excited to get an animal on the couch that he just went for it.

That said, the 5 in a row he took tonight we VERY intentional and he won't stop practicing. They were very careful and calculated steps. I will count them as his first steps. All evening has been practice, practice, practice. I'm sure it won't be long now before my baby is a full fledged, walking toddler. I am so sad. He is supposed to be a baby still. It just didn't last long enough...at least not for me.

I'm a Bad Blog Mommy

2009-11-17T19:43:00.001-05:00

I feel like I have been neglecting my blog. It just seems like time is flying by and I can't keep up.

Elliot is growing so fast and I often look at him and wonder where my baby went. He is almost walking, taking single steps and then tonight he took 3 in a row. I'm not ready. I told him if he starts walking before his first birthday he's grounded. He laughed at me. I think he might walk before the year is out, therefore before his first birthday. He loves walking holding on to my hand (just one hand), he laughs the whole time.

Elvis is doing alright. He did have a pretty ugly seizure over the weekend. He had a big one last Thanksgiving night. I believe turkey is the cause. Tony disagrees, but whenever Elvis eats a good amount of real turkey (off the bird, not deli meat) he has a seizure. I don't think it's coinincidence.

On the plus side, I only have one more person left on my Christmas list. Of course, it's Tony, the absolute hardest person, but I think I know what I am getting him this year. Now I just have to buy it.

Giveaway Blogs

2009-11-17T10:49:00.003-05:00

I try alot. I've won once...Elliot got some cute shoes! And as much as I would love to win more things, I love the idea of giving someone else that little bit of excitement and happiness, like I felt, when they see that email that says...YOU ARE A WINNER!!!

I wonder what it takes to do a giveaway blog??

In the meantime...I'll keep trying for that next email and bit of excitement for myself!

Fevers and the Flu

2009-11-08T21:57:00.001-05:00

Things have been a little hectic this weekend. Both Elliot and Tony have been sick. I think Elliot has a stomach bug. He had a fever from Friday until today and he hasn't been into eating solids much, except Cheerios and applesauce. Luckily, he has been taking his bottles and water fine. He had a little diarrhea also.

Tony has a nasty cough and generally feels like total crap. And he's been a bigger baby than Elliot.

I am totally exhausted since Elliot hasn't slept well at night. He has taken good naps, but I couldn't take a nap each time he did. I am just hoping that I don't get anything they had, although with my luck with illnesses I will get both at the same time. So, it's night 3 of sleeping on the couch...keeping as far from Tony's germs as I can since I HAVE to be around Elliot's.

Pumpkins

2009-10-25T10:34:00.004-04:00

I swear I made this post already, but somehow it never made it to the blog.

We did take Elliot and Elvis out to a pumpkin patch on Columbus Day. It was a little during the wagon ride, but Elliot loved the bumpy ride. He bounced right along with the wagon and "sang" the whole time. Elvis, however, wasn't quite as thrilled about all the bumps. He hid between Daddy's legs.

Elliot thought the pumpkins were sooo cool. And Daddy, who wasn't too happy about going to begin with, went on a search to find THE perfect Elliot-sized pumpkin. I kept hearing him yell from the patch "I found it! No, that's not it." Until he finally found it and came running back (yes-running) yelling, "This is it! This is the one!" It was rather cute.

Mommy, the kids and the pumpkins

Daddy, the kids and the pumpkins

Elliot with his favorite big pumpkin

Daddy on the hunt

Family Pic - our only one

Scaredy pug

Elliot with his Elliot-sized pumpkin

It has a curly "tail" just like Elvis!

Fall Days

2009-10-17T19:40:00.002-04:00

I had to do some raking today and Elliot decided to help.

The Season is Upon Us

2009-10-11T09:27:00.004-04:00

Cold season that is. Elliot got one Wednesday, I got it Thursday and Tony got it Friday. I had to leave work on Thursday so that means I only worked 2 days last week. Everytime I think someone is getting better it seems to start all over. UGH!

I am living in a runny nose, sore throat, body aching, non sleeping world right now. And I just love fighting a 9 month old while trying to suck snot out of his nose so he can breathe better. Such fun!

The weather has been crap. Cold, rain, cold, snow, rain, cold...I think you see where this is going. The weather also sucked during my brother's visit so we didn't get to do much, but we did get in some quality time! He and his girlfriend had some practice baby time....

I miss them already :( I really hate that I only get to see my brother about once a year. Maybe I should go back down to NC so I can see him more ;)

I am hoping to take Elliot to get pumpkins today or tomorrow (that's right, no work on Monday. I love those little holidays!) if the weather is decent. Must go disinfect some toys now.

Busy Days

2009-10-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

I forgot to mention Elliot's stats last time...
At 9 months he is:

20 lbs. 14 ozs. (57th Percentile)
29 in. (76th Percentile)

He used to be equal with height and weight and now is considered tall and lean. But still has really big cheeks!

Things have been a bit crazy the last few days. My brother and his girlfriend are up visiting from NC and staying with us. Gives Elliot lots of attention, but makes him very tired also. They brought their dog, Daisy so Elvis has a playmate visiting too. As much as I am happy to not be going to work, I will be glad when things get back to normal on Wednesday.

And a new milestone...Elliot started standing on his own!!!

9 Months

2009-10-01T07:02:00.003-04:00

My baby bug is 9 months old. (Well, yesterday he turned 9 months.) I just can't believe it. He's been on the outside as long as he was inside. Where has time gone? It's flying by. The nine months of pregnancy seemed to last forever, but these last nine months have gone by way too fast for my liking.

I have to go get ready for my last day of work for the week. My brother and his girlfriend will be here tomorrow and are FINALLY going to get to meet Elliot. I am so excited.

Elliot at 9 months

WE WON, WE WON!!!!

2009-09-24T20:18:00.005-04:00

I won a blog giveaway for Elliot!!! Because of this fabulous person, who decided to share how she kept winning some awesome stuff with her blog Mommy Loves Giveaways, I found Baby Loving Mama.

This wonderful person had a giveaway for Pediped shoes. I entered, thinking nothing of it after. While checking my email today I was deleting a bunch of junk. One email I clicked to delete that I thought was junk caught my eye. It said that I won a giveaway. So I checked it quickly and found out I won some cool shoes for Elliot!! I couldn't believe I almost deleted that email and lost out on the shoes.

So....these are the shoes I picked for Elliot. I think they are sooo cute.

I can't wait to get them!!

And just because...some pics of my little guy!

Watching TV (I know, bad Mommy)

Socks are YUMMY!

Such a happy boy.
Elliot's top teeth...

Elliot's bottom teeth.

Money, Money, Money

2009-09-21T08:38:00.002-04:00

Guess what I did this weekend??? Spent way too much money...on Elliot. We went clothes shopping for Elliot to get some stuff for now (we don't have enough clothes that he can wear now without having to do laundry his laundry every 4 days, UGH) and the next size up. This kid should be set until he needs summer clothes. I AM NOT BUYING ANYMORE CLOTHES.

Except pj's. I didn't get enough pj's. I am a pj lover, how did I not get enough pj's???? He only has 6 pairs for 9-12 and 5 for 12-18. Not even a week's worth. That is not enough, especially if he leaks and needs to be changed during the night. But I will probably go in search of some used ones. Later, maybe next month. The thought of spending another penny on baby clothes makes me want to crawl into a whole. I don't want to spend another penny on ANYTHING. I don't want to balance my checkbook. I think all my extra money is gone.

Plus, Tony was supposed to buy and he didn't. He did give me $50 and spent $50, but he told me Saturday that he was going to buy it all because I paid for the last shopping excursion ($175) for the 9-12 month clothes. Ok, doing the math....I still spent $170 this time??? How the hell did that happen????

Now, I am upset. This is why he took Elliot out of the store to feed him and conveniently got back just after I paid. He owes me!!!!!!!!

First Word

2009-09-14T19:56:00.000-04:00

Elliot said his first word this evening. He crawled to my feet, looked up and said "Mama." I was so surprised and asked "Did you just say mama?" and he did it again!!! I picked him up, did a little happy dance and yelled "You said Mama!!" He looked at me like, what's the deal lady? LOL!

I wish I could get it on camera. Hearing that little word come out of his mouth is sooooo cute!!!

Two Teeth in Two Days

2009-09-07T20:29:00.001-04:00

Someday I'll learn that I know nothing about teething. I don't know the signs half the time and my guesses are totally off. I didn't think that last top tooth we could barely see was coming for awhile. However, I discovered tonight that it came through sometime today. WTH??? That's 2 teeth in the last 2 days. This time I really think that's it for awhile, but who knows. I can't get a good look at his bottom gums to see if there is anything else there.

So that's 6 teeth in all, 2 on bottom, 4 on top. I can't wait until they are all the way in and he has that cute toothy grin. I do miss the gummy smiles, but am excited for the next stage of cuteness!!!

Oh, and I broke my wireless mouse. Dropped it in some water and now the roller doesn't work. I hate having to click the side bar and drag it down to see the rest of the page. Now off to order a new mouse. This is will be my 3rd one in a year.

Thankful

2009-09-07T07:27:00.001-04:00

I am thankful for holidays. They give me extra time with Elliot. I always miss him so much while I am at work. The weekends always seem to fly right by. I am so happy to have today with him too. (Plus only 4 days at work this week isn't bad either!)

Yesterday was awful. Probably one of our worst days yet. Elliot had been up most of the night because his next tooth was coming through. That crazy middle one made it's break. YAY! But that meant both Tony and I got little sleep. Not good since we have both been sick. So we spent the day alternating naps, both napping when Elliot did, waiting for the internet guy (ours hasn't been working) and trying not to get Elliot sick. I think we succeeded in that.

So far, today has been better. Elliot is enjoying a breakfast of toast and bananas and I am having toast and coffee. Then we will both take a little morning nap (that darn dog snored in my ear all night so I am still a little tired) and who knows what we will do today. Just being able to spend it with Elliot instead of at work is good enough for me.

It's Been Skipped.

2009-09-02T10:23:00.005-04:00

Tooth #4 FINALLY broke through. But it isn't his other top middle tooth like I expected. It's the one next to that. So Elliot will have a big space between 2 teeth until that crazy middle one, that's taking it's own sweet time, comes through.

I have been looking at 2 other teeth, just on the brink of arrival, for weeks now. I just wish they would come through so we could all go back to nights full of sleep.

Why do these things take so long??

Clothes and Toys

2009-08-30T07:16:00.003-04:00

I went shopping for Elliot yesterday. I found a Carter's about 1.5 hours away, knew they were having a good sale (50% off almost everything) and had a coupon. So I headed on a little road trip to buy, what I hope, will be Elliot's fall/winter wardrobe. Now that I have time to sit and think about it, I'm not sure it will last until spring. IF he can were his 6-9 month clothes a couple more months we might be good. But that means he can't do much growing in that time. Or he has to grow slow between until spring because I only bought 12 month stuff. I think I should have gotten some 18 month stuff too. I put a 9 month Carter outfit on him and it fit perfectly. Crap. This kid is costing us too much money in clothes! On the plus side, I don't buy a ton of clothes just for this reason. He doesn't wear them long enough so I try to get as much wear out of the ones we have.

Looks like clothes will be on his Christmas and birthday lists!

While there I discovered that there was a Toys R Us just down the road. Poor Elliot, he doesn't have much for toys. Mostly because I refused to buy any until he was interested. So he has just a few toys and was becoming bored. So I went and bought a few things. This is his favorite right now. He played with it in the cart the whole time. Although I'm sure it won't make him stop coming after mommy's laptop.

I was finally able to find the Nuby sippy cups. They have come highly recommended as a beginning sippy. I have tried so many others and Elliot is not the least bit interested...until these. He is actually trying to drink from them. He just needs to figure out that he has to tip the cup up and he'll have it!

I also found one of the toys I wanted to get him for Christmas. It was the cheapest price I've seen it at too. In fact, everything I looked at was cheaper there. I am quite shocked because my experience with Toys R Us is that everything is usually more expensive. So this is what I got. I figure it can replace his jumperoo when he gets too big for it. He loves to bounce!

The Dog Ate It

2009-08-22T18:10:00.002-04:00

No, not my homework, he ate my lunch. I went to switch over some laundry and Tony was at the table with Elliot. He got up for one second and Elvis took the opportunity to get up on the chair and steal the half of my sandwich that was left. And he didn't even do it well. He ate bread, lettuce and only some of the wonderful Boar's Head turkey. Look dog, if you are going to steal my sandwich so I can't eat it, you'd better not waste that expensive meat!!

That was only part of my terrific day. Elliot got up early, I spilled an entire mug of hot coffee on myself and the kitchen floor at 6am, Tony put the coffee covered clothes into the dryer on high heat without telling me and set the stain into my favorite summer pjs, my lunch got eaten, Elliot wouldn't nap all day and screamed if I tried to put him down. I'm exhausted, didn't get to nap and was so hoping for a nap today, and will probably not stay up long enough to watch the chick flick I got for tonight once Tony was at work and Elliot was in bed.

Tomorrow is another day.

Push Toy?

2009-08-21T20:25:00.003-04:00

Perhaps I should get Elliot one, so he won't have to push this all around the floor.

Tooth 3

2009-08-20T20:16:00.000-04:00

Elliot's third tooth broke through today. YAY! Not sure when 4, 5 and 6 will make it, but I hope soon! Now it's off to bed for this very tired mommy...I have a feeling tomorrow will be a very early morning again. :(

Teething, Part 3, 4, 5 and 6.

2009-08-20T10:24:00.005-04:00

That's right. There are 4 teeth coming in right now. All at different stages, all on top. Could it be why Elliot got up at 5 yesterday morning and 3 this morning? I am so tired and have a horrible headache now. Of course work doesn't help the headache either, that's why I am taking a break to post this blog.

Back to the teeth. I knew there was ONE top one coming in. It's been noticable for about 4 days now. But when I went to check the progress of it I thought I saw more. So, against his will, I checked Elliot's gums closely and sure enough...THREE more on top. Nothing new on the bottom yet...thankfully.

Elliot also stood on his own this morning. Just like it was nothing. He was standing playing with his activity table and leaning on it. Then he just stood up straight. Again, I had to do a double take because I didn't believe he wasn't leaning on the table. Nope, there was a definite gap between him and the table. Then he just looked at me like "What Mom, I am a big boy now. Didn't you know?" and went back to playing. It's all happening so fast! Make him slow down!!!

And, just because....some pics from the weekend.

With the Good You Get the Bad

2009-08-18T08:35:00.003-04:00

This weekend was a mix of things. Saturday, Elliot, Elvis and I headed out to a flea market about a half hour away with my sister and mother. It was hot. I usually don't complain about the heat especially since this summer has been cold and rainy, BUT....the dog was super hot and wanted to be carried (yah, it's like having another baby!) and Elliot was hot in his stroller and got really cranky. Our 2 other companions seemed to move at the speed of a turtle. I know I always go faster than most people, but really...must you look at every little trinket from every old lady??? Luckily I drove separately because at one point Elliot just started crying and screaming and Elvis planted his feet and wouldn't go any further, so I took them to the car and headed home.

That afternoon, after Daddy joined the waking world, we all went to Uncle Paul's and played in the pool for awhile. Because Elliot's room was so hot, he never took a good nap. He zonked out at 7pm. I knew I was in for an early morning so I went to bed early, but tossed and turned until midnight, then the dog woke me every half hour. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep.

Sunday came at 5am with a SCREAMING baby. He cried until 6:30. Nothing worked to stop his crying for longer than 5 minutes, he wouldn't eat, wouldn't play. He was so loud I think he may have waken the entire neighborhood. Not sure if that top tooth that's coming in was bothering him or what. Finally at 6:30 he ate and was fine. It was like he never shed a tear. He took his morning nap and we headed off to the beach. Lots of dirt was eaten and fun was had. Again his room was hot so his afternoon nap was short, very short. So off to Uncle Paul's pool again. Everyone cooled off and was much happier.

Then Monday came and the fun was over. Back to work. Blech. Which is where I am this fine Tuesday morning, so I will have to update with pics when I get home!

What Cute Shoes!

2009-08-15T21:39:00.002-04:00

These are totally cute shoes. I need to measure Elliot's foot in the morning so I can order some for fall and winter outings to keep his feet warmer...we only use socks on cooler days right now. You also need to head over to Baby Goodbuys and enter the giveaway for a pair. See their button on the side!

Summertime

2009-08-15T21:21:00.000-04:00

Finally, some real summer weather up here!!! We've had nice walks, outside playtime, pool time, it's been fantastic. Today at the pool, Tony dunked Elliot for the first time. He didn't seem to hate it, but he didn't seem to like it either...he didn't seem fazed at all. I hope that's a good thing. I really hate being under water and I don't want Elliot to be afraid or hate it too.

Elliot is pulling up like a champ. He is also trying to stand. It's so cute. He'll pull up on the activity table, really slowly let go and then grab ahold real fast. He is also trying to cruise along the couch. He just about has that down. It's all happening way too fast for me. I didn't think any of this would have happened for few more months. I wonder if he'll be an early walker or just stay at this point for awhile?

I think tooth #3 is coming soon. This time I mean it. It looks like one is coming down and getting ready to break through. One side of his top gums looks like a bump. He won't keep his fingers or anything else out of his mouth and his sleep is all screwy. These top ones seem worse than his bottom 2. They just appeared out of nowhere.

Elvis has been having a good time too...he loves swim times. And we're thinking of going to a Pug meet up this fall. There's a parade, gala and other events. Looks like fun!

I'm So Sad

2009-08-11T21:19:00.004-04:00

I had a fantastic day with both my boys. The weather was terrific, sunny and hot, so after Elliot's morning nap I packed everyone up and we went swimming. Elvis just loves to swim. Then we went to visit Grandma B (my mom) at her office and made the rounds. After some loving (for both) and biscuits for Elvis, we took a walk down Main St. and went to Elvis's favorite store. It's a pet boutique and they sell the cutest stuff. After some more loving and biscuits (it was all about Elvis here) we headed back to the car.

Then it was lunch time, play time and nap time (for Elliot and Elvis). I used that time to install a convertible car seat in Tony's truck. (No more infant seat, it's bittersweet.) Then Elliot got up, we had some more playtime, dinner and took Elvis out for his evening exercise.

Back home, more playtime, bottle, book and off to bed. Then I made some asparagus for Elliot, cleaned the kitchen, straightened up the living room and dining room and now it's time for bed for me.

How I wish I could do it all over again tomorrow, but I must go to work. I am so sad thinking about it. At least there's only 3 more days until the weekend!

And just because.....

Elliot's toys...

What he would rather play with...

I Don't Want to Work

2009-08-11T08:08:00.000-04:00

After 3 days off, allowing for an extra day with Elliot, I found it extremely hard to go to work yesterday. Since he was born all I have wanted was to be able to stay home with him. I know we can't afford it and we are lucky that Tony works nights bartending and can care for him during the day so Elliot isn't in day care (huge money saver) but I still want to be the one home. I feel like I miss so much and I don't get enough time with him.

Thankfully, Tony just headed off to NYC for 2 days to see the Yankees play and the sitter lined up couldn't do today after all, so I took another day off to be with Elliot!!!! The sitter will be here tomorrow, like every Wednesday, so I will be back to work.

Tomorrow is going to be sooooo hard. Maybe we can win the lottery soon and I can stay home!

Padded Room, Anyone??

2009-08-09T07:41:00.001-04:00

I want a padded room in my house. One where I can put Elliot and not have to worry about him falling down. People are going to think I do bad things to my baby with all the bruises he's getting. In 24 hours I think he has fallen about as many times, if not more. The only time he wasn't falling was while he was sleeping.

Since the other night when he pulled up for the first time he hasn't stopped. Anything he can crawl to, he tries to pull up on. Then lets go and tries to stand. This kid is making me crazy. He wants to do everything NOW. There is no adjusting to the "new" thing he's doing, because he moves right on to something else. I really don't need a baby that walks this early. Or else I will need that padded room!

I Missed It :(

2009-08-07T18:34:00.000-04:00

I only looked away for a second.

Elliot was sitting on the floor next to his activity table. I am positive he was sitting. I looked away for just a second, I swear. Then I heard him giggle. I turned to see what he thought was so funny and he was STANDING at his table. He pulled himself up for the first time and no one saw it. :( We knew it was coming soon (hence the mattress dropping last weekend) but I was hoping one of us would see it. Oh well, he'll do it many more times.

He just started crawling in the last couple of weeks. Can't he take a break between milestones?????????

Playdates

2009-08-07T16:51:00.003-04:00

Our microwave died last night, just quit. Unfortunately, I live in an area where the closest place to get a new one is an hour away. Fortunately, I took today off so Tony could go to a golf tournament. Then I found out the my sister, who lives in this city an hour away, was off today too. So I packed up Elliot and Elvis and made a day out of the trip.

I went to visit my sister so the "kids" all had a playdate...Elliot with his 4 year old cousin Wyatt and Elvis with my sister's dogs Molly, a yellow lab and Stella, a beagle mix. We were there for about 3 hours and everyone had a good time. Then it was off to Target to get a microwave and a couple other things and KFC to pick up dinner.

Not what was originally planned for my extra day with Elliot, but somethings just happen. The weather wasn't cooperating for my orginal plan anyway, and while I have a list of things that need to be done around the house, this was more fun!

I will leave the list until next Tuesday, when I will be off again while Tony goes to NYC to a Yankees game. It's supposed to be a rainy, thunderstorm day then anyway.

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot, Elliot had Cheerios for the first time this morning and LOVED them. He is getting so good at getting food into his mouth and chewing that we are starting to transition to table food. I loved making his baby food, but will enjoy having the space back in our freezer. I have to make a batch, so this time I am mashing and dicing food then freezing.

I Know Nothing

2009-08-04T08:46:00.002-04:00

At least when it comes to teething. I was so sure Elliot's top 2 teeth were on their way, but they have not shown themselves. That means my early morning waking theory is incorrect. Between him waking up screaming at night and waking early in the morning, I am very tired. I need a nice long nap.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2009-08-02T16:11:00.002-04:00

I did it. I waited as long as I could. It was a milestone I didn't want to hit.

I had to move the mattress in Elliot's crib down.

When I went to get him from his morning nap he was sitting up trying to stand and I knew it was time. I kept saying, "I'll do it next weekend." Well, it's next weekend :( I makes me kind of sad, like my little baby is growing up. So, now he is in what we are affectionately refering to as "Baby Jail". Well, because he looks like he's in jail. I have to put the bumper back on.

So after dropping the mattress I have decided I want to rearrange Elliot's room. It's not a very big room so there isn't much in it, but I don't like the set up anymore.

Elliot is standing these days, only while holding something, but still. He just started crawling less than a week ago and now is trying his hardest to stand and walk.

See these yummy looking cupcakes? They taste even better than they look, if that's possible. A girl I went to school with makes them and sells them at various Farmer's Markets in the area. There are all kinds of flavors, Peanut Butter Cup, Creamsicle, S'mores, The "Hostess" (that would be the missing one -my treat after a day of cleaning!-and the one above it!) and more. I can't even pick a favorite, I love them all. If I keep heading to the Farmer's Market, I'm going to weight more than I did when I gave birth to Elliot!

Bumps and Bruises

2009-07-31T08:46:00.003-04:00

Now that crawling is in full swing, so are the bumps and bruises. Elliot decided to crawl over the bottom "shelf" part of our coffee table last night, but couldn't quite make it onto it and smashed his face on the edge. I have never heard him cry so hard, I felt horrible.

To top it off, I had twisted my ankle pretty bad while out on our daily walk and it really hurt. My brain said "Run to Elliot" and I did, twisting it again and falling to the floor almost on top of the poor kid.

So he was crying, I was trying not to, and Tony was trying to figure out who to check on first. Elvis just sat there looking at us like we were all fools.

In the end, Tony consoled Elliot, I iced my ankle (which still hurts and is swollen...a trip to the doctor may be in order) and Elvis went to bed.

Aaaaahhh, and it's just the beginning!

Tiring Times Ahead

2009-07-29T19:39:00.001-04:00

Elliot is crawling all over the place. It's all he wants to do. Right up until bedtime. He was so tired, but had to keep going so he took breaks. It was pretty cute. See for yourself.

Oh, and his 2 top teeth are coming in so he's been up early for the past few days. I think they will break through tomorrow. They are so close. I hope so anyway. I would really love to sleep past 5 am!

So, my tired baby is in bed early and I am going to relax a little and head to bed early myself.

White Spot

2009-07-28T07:29:00.000-04:00

Elliot was up early again. So I checked his gums. I saw a white spot on his upper gums. Could this be a sign that the tooth is coming soon? I hear that it could be, but since I didn't know Elliot's teething signs for his first 2 teeth I have no idea if these spots were there. I didn't know there was a tooth until he bit my finger.

Oh, and right this very second, Elliot is trying to pull up. He can do it on us, but now he's practicing with a chair. Would someone please tell my baby to stay a baby a little longer? He's not even officially 7 months yet.

Monday Blues and Milestones

2009-07-27T19:20:00.006-04:00

This is what my weekday mornings look like. Elliot sits in my lap and plays. Makes it really hard to go to work. Especially on Mondays. I seriously considered calling in sick today so I could stay home with my little guy!

I think we may be seeing tooth #3 soon. Before each of the other 2 teeth appeared, Elliot didn't eat well, got up really early and his naps were all screwy. Well, he didn't eat well yesterday or today, got up really early today and his naps have been screwy for 2 days. I guess we'll see if my theory is correct in the next day or two. I hope it's not another tooth. That would be 3 in 2 weeks.

Today Elliot started to crawl, officially. He's been scooting backwards and sideways, but today he went forward, ALOT. Of course, when I tried to get it on video he got lazy and only army crawled. But I think that counts too!

Trail Walk

2009-07-25T20:12:00.003-04:00

We headed out on the trail again today. This time Elvis joined us. He did quite well, considering he is terribly out of shape. He trucked along, stopping for sniff breaks. Then he decided to cool off in the stream/brook (whatever you want to call it!). He also tried to bring a stick much larger than himself home with him...we "lost" it on the way though.

Walking the trail

Cooling Off

With the Big Stick

Here's a pic where you can see the pocket on my new sling...I just LOVE this thing!

Milestones Galore

2009-07-23T12:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, while home for lunch, I discovered Elliot's second tooth had emerged. His first was just last Monday, a week and a half ago, and isn't even fully in yet.

Last night, he figured out how to get from crawling stance to sitting and finally moved forward a little while crawling.

I can't believe how fast my baby is growing.

Ring Sling

2009-07-20T17:39:00.007-04:00

I have tried all kinds of carriers. Either Elliot was uncomfortable, I was or we both were. Some wonderful ladies on Babycenter told me about the ring sling...in fact one of them makes them. So I bought one. It is the most amazing thing ever!! Just a piece of fabric, so easy to put on and put Elliot in. He loves it. We used it all Saturday afternoon and it was like my 18 pound baby weighted about 5. If only I had known about them 6 months ago.

Here we are with the sling and although you can't see it in this pic (I'll have to get a better one) there is a cute pocket on it. Great for keys, phone, wallet.

Please don't look at me, only the baby in the sling...NOT a good photo day!

To get this sling or one like it, visit Indie Sunshine and tell her Kristin sent you!

Thank you again, Melissa!

Baby Pools and Car Seats

2009-07-15T20:54:00.003-04:00

We finally had a nice, sunny, warm day. They seem to be few and far between this summer. I decided to sneak out of work early today. Well, not sneak as much as just walk out the front door, I was the only one left at work. Everyone else had already gone home early.

I took Elliot out to use his baby pool for the first time. (Crappy summer.) He loved splashing around...I think I might have a water baby. Elvis joined him for a bit also.

Then I headed off to our local car seat check to get my install of his convertible checked. I got rave reviews and was told they couldn't have done it better. They couldn't move that seat at all and boy did they try. Thanks BBC Car Seat Board ladies. I learned so much from all of you!

A couple of pics from today.

6 Month Stats

2009-07-15T13:56:00.003-04:00

We finally went to Elliot's 6 month well check. He is a very healthy, happy baby! We are starting fluoride drops because our water doesn't have fluoride and he is starting to get teeth.

Here are his stats:

Weight~17 lbs. 14 ozs. 48th Percentile
Height~27 ins. 60th Percentile
Head~44 cms. Percentile Unknown

His pedi was so surprised that he is just average in size. She thinks he looks like a 9 month old.

A Picture Story

2009-07-14T20:01:00.019-04:00

Yesterday as I left work the sun was shining. It was cool and felt more like fall, but still, the sun was shining. As tired as I was from getting up at the crack of dawn with Elliot (he decided to get up VERY early) I still needed some exercise and decided I was going for a long walk. I got home, changed my clothes, got Elliot in the stroller and headed out. I decided a half mile walk to a hilly, wooded trail, walk the trail and back home would be a great workout.

Just as we got to the trail it started raining, of course. So I got the rain guard on Elliot's stroller and my raincoat on.

One of the good things about walking in the woods is that it isn't always raining on you. Although there are times that when you look up you can see the sky and feel the drops, once you take another ten steps it's nothing but treetops and dry faces.

So I'm walking and feeling good. I'm making steady progress when I turn a corner and realize I am at the hill of doom. I know what your thinking, that doesn't look much like a hill. Well, pictures can be deceiving. When your pushing a 20-some odd pound stroller with a 17ish pound sleeping baby in it virtually straight up, IT. IS. NOT. EASY. (Picture 1 is the first part, picture 2 is after the turn.)

My heart is about to pound out of my chest (at least the hospital is close by, passed it on the way here), but I make it and I turn around to see how far I have come. Now I feel more tired than I did all day. Great, I am only halfway through this 2.5 mile trail. I am never going to make it. I hope I have cell service so I can call my husband to come get us...with a wagon to pull me back in!

I find my motivation I as look ahead, sunshine coming through the trees. I think it may have stopped raining, but that is hard to tell when I am not getting rained on half the time anyway. I trudge along, my heart rate steadies from the push up the hill and while I am growing more tired, I no longer feel like I am about to have a heart attack.

Up ahead, do you see that?? It's the first of 4 bridges. I am about 3/4 of the way through. I can do it! From here it's all down hill, literally, thank god. Before I know it, I am at the 4th bridge. And I only stumbled as many times as there are bridges because I keep misstepping from my lack of concentration.

Can you read that sign? A quarter mile to the parking lot, I am done! Except for that half mile walk home. UGH!

Out of the parking lot and there's the road. I made it through the trail and I have finished 3 miles of my 3.5 mile walk. I can do this. It's flat all the way home. Oh, look at that tall grass on the side of the road. I could just stop for a minute, just a little rest. No one would know if I curled up and took a little nap. Elliot is still asleep, he wouldn't care. Who knew the last half mile would be so hard?

Finally, I can see my house, my picnic table (even that looks like a good bed), finally my front door!!! I did it. I made it home and kept my eyes open the whole way. I haven't felt this tired since the days before Elliot started sleeping through the night. I am too tired to eat dinner, too tired to take a shower. I can't wait for Elliot to go to bed so I can too. I learned a really good lesson though. Never walk a very hilly, wooded trail in the rain, pushing a heavy stroller with 4 hours of sleep when you are completely out of shape.

Can't wait to do it again tomorrow!!!!

We have...

2009-07-13T18:22:00.000-04:00

a tooth. Elliot's first tooth cut the surface, I believe, some time last night. This morning as I was getting ready to leave for work he decided to say goodbye by chomping on my finger. It hurt a little more than usual (who knew gums were so hard?) because I was stabbed by a sharp little tooth poking through his gums. One more milestone almost checked off. It's a little bittersweet.

Another Day at the Beach~Pic Heavy

2009-07-11T19:11:00.004-04:00

Well, actually just a couple of hours this morning. We had some sunshine this morning so when Elliot got up from his nap we headed out to the beach. He ate some sand, tore down my sandcastles, played in the water and laughed hysterically at the other kids in the lake. All they did was look at him or run in the water. Who knows why babies laugh at things?? Here are some pics from our day.
Just before I took this they were both chewing on something. I thought it was funny, grabbed the camera and as I was taking the picture Elliot took the beads out of his mouth. Bummer, but they are still both too cute and I love getting pics with them both in it.
And just to share...I love this onesie!

Freezer is Stocked

2009-07-11T08:28:00.000-04:00

It took me on and off all week to get it done, but I now have a freezer stocked with baby food. I shouldn't have to make any more for awhile and there is so much variety that we can make all kinds of combinations. Yipee!

P.S. I learned one thing this week, I will never make my own mangos again. UGH!

Adventures in the Sun

2009-07-09T20:33:00.005-04:00

Yes, we FINALLY got sun!!!!! Elliot was asleep when I got home from work and didn't get up until 5 pm so we didn't get a whole lot of time outside, but we got some and made it count.

After his bottle, we headed outside to the front lawn. I put down a blanket and some toys and we played in the sun for awhile.

He had a lot of fun, but then it was time for dinner. Tonight's menu: Butternut Squash and a few Banana Puffs. Yummy!!

Then I hitched up Elvis, got Elliot into his stroller and hit the road. A perfect evening for a walk. Sunny, warm but not too hot. Everything was green and flowers were blooming. Elliot took a short nap in the summer air.

Back home Elliot tried very hard to crawl and kept getting very angry when he would only go backwards. He almost had it though.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice day and we are planning a trip to the pool at Uncle Paul and Aunt Judy's after work. And hopefully Beach Day #2 this weekend. We'll see.

Mess Making

2009-07-08T21:31:00.003-04:00

I walked away for one minute, exactly. I came back to my little guy at his toys and starting to dump each basket out. He got 2 out of 3 of the baskets dumped before I stopped him. I was just so surprised the got to them.

When I left the room, he was on the the whole other side, 60 seconds later he was at his toys. HOW?? He isn't crawling yet. But he is scooting backwards, slowly.

Or so I thought. I let him stay up a little later, just to watch him and see if he would move again. He did. The kid went around the perimeter of the floor rug with speed I have never seen.

I think we can officially say that he is on the move.

Rainy Day (Non)Adventures

2009-07-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

Our weather here has been awful. It just keeps raining and raining. It seems everytime I get the boys ready for a walk it starts to pour. It's making for a very bummy summer. We are hoping for some sunshine, or at least no rain, tomorrow afternoon/evening so we can hit the trail. Mommy needs to get her exercise back on track!

Adventures in Baby Food Making

2009-07-05T09:41:00.002-04:00

I am on a mission to stock my freezer with baby food. Since Elliot is eating 3 to 4 ounces two times a day and I am about to add a third feeding of solids, this food goes fast. My original plan was to spend today making lots of food. However, since we are finally having a nice day I plan to enjoy my day and make some food today and some throughout the week (another rainy one).

So far in my freezer I have:
6 ounces of peas
8 ounces of sweet potatoes
11 ounces of acorn squash
11 ounces of blueberries
13 ounces of (very pureed, unfortunately) bananas
16 ounces of pears

There is also 16 ounces of zucchini that I just put in to freeze.

On hand to make:
Cherries
Asparugus
Mangos
Pineapple
Carrots
Peaches

What I still want to get and make:
Apricots
More veggies (I just can't think of any. Can you tell I am not a veggie person!)

Well, the sun is out and Elliot has just woken from a short morning nap. I am going to get him his morning fruit and head out for a nice, long walk!

Another Crazy Day

2009-07-03T21:18:00.004-04:00

Today we had a visit from another pug. A neighbor came over thinking our pug got out and was following her around. It wasn't ours, Elvis was hanging out on the couch with Daddy and Elliot. It was an older pug and very friendly. He just wandered into the house like it was his. He and Elliot played a bit then the neighbor tried to take the pug back to her house to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, the pug headed in the opposite direction towards a busy intersection. We decided it was best to put him in our fenced in backyard.

We called the local police (they contact the animal control guy) to tell them we had this lost pug. Since the animal control officer was off today, 2 of the local police came to get the pug. We hope they find his home but if not either a friend of ours, or we, will take the pug. Poor little fella.

Then Elliot and I headed off to pick up his 6 month pictures (it's an hour trip). We did a little shopping (got a new cup, new toys, some pj's and socks and a couple of things for me), ran into his aunt, uncle and cousins, picked up his pics (where I totally got suckered into buying extras-not my fault, they used my favorite pose) and headed back home.

Once we were back in town, we stopped off at a friend's 40th birthday party. Elliot got to see his friend Emma (our friend's 5 month old daughter) again, saw some other friends and met lots of new people. He was already a tuckered little guy, but was all smiles for everyone. We stayed awhile, but it was hot and loud. We were both so tired, it was time to head home to bed (for Elliot anyway).

Elliot's favorite part of the day? Getting his new Little Tikes Hammer and little Rintoo (from Ni Hao, Kai- Lan). Mommy's favorite part of the day?? Right now...I'm going to bed :)

Oh, What a Day

2009-07-02T20:18:00.002-04:00

Elvis has been having an eye issue on and off the past couple of weeks. His right eye gets very runny (it's brownish and has stained some clothes) and seems to be very sensitive to light so he keeps it closed alot. He rubs at it constantly and it seems to swell in the evening.

We shrugged it off as allergies since it kept going away and seem to come back after he spent long periods of time outside. It was really bad today and we decided that we needed to take him to the vet. Since our regular vet doesn't seem comfortable dealing with pug eye issues, we decided to take him to another vet that we know deals with a number of pugs. Here's how that went:

We got there for our appointment at 4:20. Surprisingly we didn't need to wait long. A vet tech comes and gets us, then takes Elvis to be weighed (he's a hefty 25 lbs-chubby little pug!). She brought him back and wrote (on a piece of scrap paper) what we told her about his eye. She left to get the vet.

The vet comes in. Feels Elvis's neck and looks at both eyes quickly. Vet decides to do a stain on Elvis's eye to see if there was a scratch. Used an ultraviolet light to check....no scratch. Vet then tells us he is going to give us steriod eyedrops to use 2 times a day (loads of fun because it takes at least 2 people to hold down this dog). We ask what he thinks the problem might be. He answers "I don't know. Use the drops and can you call me if they aren't working after a few days?"

WTF???? You want me to put steriods in my dog's eye, but you don't know why we need to?

We ask if he thinks it's allergies and other than paying for very expensive tests (since it has been determined in the past that Elvis DOES have allergies) what can we do to help him. Lots of "ums" later he tells us that we can give him benedryl (ok, we know that) and could always keep using the steriods (prolonged use of steriod drops will cause steriods to enter his blood stream).

So we got the drops, paid the bill, left with virtually no answers and a pug who still can't keep his right eye open for long.

Back at home, we have a very cranky baby. Elliot has decided that naps aren't his thing lately. Tony (my husband) thinks it's because he has had to work (he's a bartender) for the last 9 nights and could really use the naps, that Elliot refuses to sleep during the day. The only time I could put Elliot down was to feed him his veggies. Other than that he whined and cried if I didn't hold him. So we watched a little Max & Ruby (I don't know why, but he laughs through the whole show), then Elliot had a bottle. Both Elliot and I were sound asleep on the couch, when someone knocked and just came in, waking us both up. UGH :(

And now, some idiot in the neighborhood is setting off fireworks making my dog bark. Elliot just fell back to sleep and I really hope the barking doesn't wake him. I'll never get him back to sleep again.

I hope this isn't a sign of what is to come for my 3 day weekend.

Elliot's 6 Month Pics

2009-07-01T09:19:00.005-04:00

Here are a couple of Elliot's 6 month pictures. The first one is my favorite!

Elvis Swims

2009-06-30T19:42:00.006-04:00

The first summer we had Elvis a number of people told us that pugs don't/can't swim. Apparently, their small, condensed bodies make staying afloat almost impossible. So, we simply tried to get him into the water. It took some coaxing, but eventually he went up to the top of his legs, then to his chest. He loved to bound on the shoreline, making huge splashes while trying to eat them.

The second summer, he went a little deeper and his feet actually came up off the bottom. Not for long, though, maybe just a couple of doggy paddles and he was back where he could touch. By the end of summer, he would actually go after a stick (if it was close) but he loved the water and we couldn't drive by a lake without him whining to go "swimming".

This is his third summer and I am proud to say MY pug can swim. Take that all you pug owners who said it couldn't happen. Maybe you just need to be supportive and encouraging to your puggy. Elvis has surprised us by how far he will go, especially for a wonderful stick!

Now, if we could only figure out how to get him to fetch a stick on land. Hmmmmm.

6 Months

2009-06-30T09:15:00.003-04:00

Don't believe my Lilypie ticker on the side.

Today Elliot is 6 months old. I can't believe how quickly the last six months have gone by considering the nine months of pregnancy seemed to last forever.

Happy half birthday, froggy baby! Mommy loves you so much!

New Car Seat

2009-06-29T21:58:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how excited I am over a car seat. I purchased a Britax Roundabout 50 because I have space issues in my Suzuki SX4 Crossover. The Britaxes allow for the front seat, not only to touch, but to brace the seat. Unfortunately, I don't live near any stores that allow you to take a seat out of the store to test. So, I purchased one in hopes that it would fit or I would send it back and try another. Well, it fit perfectly. I got such a great install testing it that I decided to not put the bucket back in. It is so soft, I almost want one for myself :)

I think Elliot likes the seat too.

Followers

2009-06-29T15:16:00.001-04:00

I just started and I already have my first follower. Thank you!!

Adventures at the Beach

2009-06-28T12:52:00.005-04:00

Elliot had his first trip to our local beach on Friday. I think he was a bit confused about the sand at first. He just kept pushing it with foot. He tested out the water and although it was a bit colder than his bath he really seemed to enjoy it. Then back to the sand. This time he was fascinated by it. He kept running his hands through the sand. He also tried to eat his pail and shovel. After a picnic lunch (a bottle on a blanket) it was nap time. The little guy tired himself right out. What a fun time!

What is this stuff?

First you have to check the water temp with your toes.

Ok, it's warm enough, I'll sit.

A shiny red pail.

The Beginning

2009-06-28T09:04:00.010-04:00

Then

Elvis was born 12.28.06. He came to live with us on 2.22.07. We couldn't have asked for a better dog. So full of personality.

Now

Then

Elliot was born 12.31.08 at 8:56pm, 3 hours and 4 minutes before his mommy's 33rd birthday. (Guess he didn't want to share his birthday with me!) He weighted 6 lbs. 15.75 oz. and was 19 3/8 inches long.

Now